The Prophecy
by astral-angel
Summary: The Elder's have stuffed up again...and nothing will ever be the same...Charmed/BtVS/AtS X-over. Chapter 5 up...
1. Premonitions, Visions & Dreams

The Prophecy 

Disclaimer – The characters from Charmed, Buffy the Vampire Slayer & Angel the Series belong to Constance M. Burge/Brad Kern, Joss Whedon, and whoever owns Angel. However any characters you don't recognize belong to me. I am merely borrowing the characters and hoping they'll stay for a long, long, time….lol. 

**Part 1**

_"It has begun"  
  
"What can we do?"  
  
"Too late...we cannot do anything..."  
  
"The laws of destiny bind us...we waited too long..."  
  
"It will be our downfall..."  
  
"No...we cannot accept that...what about them?"  
  
"They are not bound by law...they are free to fight this battle..."  
  
"But will they want to...?"  
  
"Are you saying that they would refuse to fight?"  
  
"I'm saying that maybe we've gone too far...we've taken too much from them..."  
  
"He speaks the truth...but they will have to fight..."  
  
"There is no other choice?"  
  
"Then it is decided...the messages will be sent...they will meet....they will fight..."  
  
"It will not be enough..."  
  
"Of course it will be enough....it will have to be enough..."  
  
"They are too fragile...losses...gains....too much...too soon..."  
  
"But we cannot offer them anything else...the law, remember?"  
  
"There are about a hundred loopholes to every law...haven't they proved that by now?"  
  
"True...but what can we do? What else can we give?"  
  
"New powers...new immunities...new strengths...new allies..."  
  
"New allies? Surely you don't mean..."  
  
"Yes...I do..."  
  
"Will he accept?"  
  
"He will have to...like them, he has no choice..."  
  
"Will it be enough?"  
  
"Truthfully? Most likely not...they are all too hurt, too pained..."  
  
"So it is a suicide mission?"  
  
"No...not a suicide mission...but maybe some won't make it back alive..."  
  
"They will fight between themselves...you know that don't you?"  
  
"What else can we expect? What else could we expect? They are the strongest..."  
  
"Personal matters will interfere..."  
  
"We can't stop it..."  
  
"So be it...but it is too late now anyway..."  
  
"The messages have been sent...all we can do is wait until they meet..."  
  
"This is the last time we will be able to meet...it is too dangerous..."  
  
"Then till we meet again...farewell..."  
  
"We're pitiful, you know that?"  
  
"How dare you?"  
  
"Here we are...the powers that be...the elders...the ones who make the rules..."  
  
"Your point?"  
  
"We are sending a group of humans to fight our battles..."  
  
"Some are not human..."  
  
"They are more human than we are...that is what is so pitiful..." _  
  
*******San Francisco, California*******  
  
"Bring back the power of three..." I spoke out loud...my soul crying out to the heavens...I needed my sister back more than anything. My head whipped up as I heard something...and I prayed to anyone who was listening that it was my lost sister.   
"What are you doing up here?" My sister's voice was gentle, and though I know that my younger sister didn't mean it, it just twisted the knife in my heart deeper. 

  
"I don't understand it...magick has saved us before...it was magick that got us into this mess...why can't it get us out? Why can't it bring her back?" My voice was shaky, heavy with unshed tears. _'Oh Piper...you don't understand...it's not just Phoebe dying...everything's fallen apart...and now matter how hard I try, I can't put it back together...'_

  
"Prue...I don't know...I don't know why Phoebe had to sell her soul to save us...I don't know why I have this feeling that it isn't finished yet...that there's something...someone...else out there...and most of all I don't know how we're going to survive this...but one thing I am sure of...one thing I'm sure of is that no matter what happens Prue, you will make it through...you're too strong not to..." 

  
Piper finished speaking and then went to sit next to me. _'Piper...my sweet Piper...you have so much faith in me...if I was so strong, then why couldn't I save Phoebe...why couldn't I save my baby girl? No...you're wrong Piper...if anyone's going to make it through...it's you...Piper...you don't know the first thing about me...well you do...but not what matters most...you shouldn't trust me so much...so many secrets...this family will be ripped apart...what's left of it...I'm not your strong older sister...I never was...it was all an act...I think...it's all messed up...no...I won't make it through...not like this...'_

  
"Prue? Piper? Are you guys up there?" It was my brother-in-law's voice, and his body soon followed, appearing in a glow of blue lights. Leo was followed by Cole. _'Welcome one and all, to the freakshow that is the Halliwell household...two witches, a guardian angel/whitelighter and a half demon...it used to be three witches...then the stupid SOB's that call themselves Elders took Phoebe away...she could have come back...there were ways...resurrection spells...time spells...but they wouldn't let us...took every stupid time spell that was in the book and got rid of them...they're back now...but only because the window is closed...her spirit left...whoopeee....so sue me if I'm just a tiny bit pissed off...and why is Cole here? Oh that's right...Phoebe dying was exactly what he needed - it showed him that he had a heart capable of loss...arrogant asshole...I wish that we'd never heard of Belthazor/Cole...it's his fault that Phoebe's dead...he is soooo lucky that Piper and Leo are here right now...but next time we're alone....he'll wish that he had never messed with me...well, at least that's what I would have said a couple of months ago...things are different now...I still think he's an arrogant asshole...but I probably wouldn't kill him...'_

  
"Prue....PRUE!" Piper's voice finally broke into my thoughts...they were all looking at me strangely.   
"What?" I winced when I heard the tone of my voice...it was too defensive...I hate the way they looked at me just then, so full of pity...well I'm not the only one who lost someone.  
"Leo just said that Phe...her powers will be split up between us." 

  
_'Oh Piper...sweetie...you can't even say her name...it's Phoebe...say it Piper...Phoebe...I don't believe those bloody bastards...we buried our younger sister less than a week ago, and they think we want to know about their stupid powers?'_   
"Why?" My voice was flat...it brought out a wistful half smile on Piper's face...her Prue was back...but I wasn't...not really…but it was better that she believe that…for now.

  
"That part of it will have to wait till your mom gets here...but Prue, since you tuned me out before, I'll say it again; Piper gets the levitation which means you get the premonitions." Leo was still the same. As if he would change.  
"Mom? What does she have to do with it?" Piper looked confused; it replaced the little half smile that curved her lips. 

  
"I suppose I should have told you this before...no...I know I should have told you before..." The voice that spoke was familiar to me - it haunted my nightmares, my dreams.  
"Mom?" Piper had a look of a lost little girl on her face, and my heart went out to her.  
"Darlings...I'm sorry. Especially you, Prue." 

  
_'Me? Why was Mom saying sorry to me?'_   
"Me? Mom, what happened? What's wrong? Why are you saying sorry to me?" I was just as confused as Piper seemed to be.  
"For taking away your memories of your baby sister."   
"Well, that was a huge buildup to nothing...Mom, I remember Phoebe when she was a kid. Why wouldn't I?"  
"I'm not talking about Phoebe. You would have been 7. I was pregnant again - but it was Sam's baby."

  
_'Wha...wait...if mom had a baby when I was seven, then the baby would be younger than Phoebe...she was born when I was five...'_   
"Mom? What are you trying to say?" Piper's voice was shaky.  
"First, let me restore Prue's memories of her." My mother then said a couple of words under her breath, and all of a sudden I got dizzy.  
_'Whoa...oh god...I have a baby sister...Paige...fuzzy brown hair...deep brown eyes...I have another sister...'_  
"Paige? Mom...where is my sister?" My voice was harsh...as harsh as my head felt.

  
"Sister? Paige? Prue? Who are you talking about?" Piper was loud and panicky.   
"Paige is our baby sister, Piper. Mom gave her up a couple of weeks after she was born."  
"She works for South Bay Social Services - under the name of Paige Matthews. You have to find her - she will complete the broken link of the power of three." Mom looked startled when I exploded. 

  
"I can't believe you. You take our sister away from us when we barely remembered her, destroyed my memories of her, and then expect us to find her just so she can complete the stupid power of three! Mom...tell those jerks up there that I don't give a damn about the Power of three anymore...I just want my sister back...both of them back..." _'Those jerks...those stupid idiots...Paige...my baby sister...my younger sister...oh god...I have to find her...'_

  
I started to walk out of the attic when my hand brushed the Book of Shadows...my family's curse. _Blood...there was so much blood...fire...destruction...people screaming...the three of them....others...fighting...losing...._   
"Prue? What is it?" Cole spoke for the first time.  
"I had a premonition." I needed to sit down...that had to be wrong.  
"Of what?" Leo asked curiously.  
"What else? The end of the world."  
  
*******Los Angeles, California*******  
  
Cordelia looked around at the two men sitting in the room with her. Angel & Wesley. Amazing. The two guys she had had romantic fantasies about in high school, and they were like her older brothers. She was about to say something when pain gripped her forehead.   
_Blood...there was so much blood...fire...destruction...people screaming...the three of them....others...fighting...losing...._   
"Cordelia? What's wrong?" Angel had gotten up when he realised that she was having a vision.  
"Cordy? What'd you see?" Wesley's voice held concern, which she would have thought was sweet.  
"The usual...blood...death...and..."  
"And what?" Angel asked quietly.  
"The end of the world."  
  
*******Sunnydale, California*******  
  
Willow Rosenberg looked around in large spacious living room of the Summers household and smiled. Her best girl friends and Dawn had decided to hold an impromptu sleepover. They had already had 5 pillowfights and watched sappy movies until they were all crying. Spike, Xander and Giles had agreed to pull patrol and let Buffy have the night off.

  
"G'night guys." The sentiment was repeated through all 5 girls - Buffy, Dawn, Anya, Tara and Willow.  
Less than an hour later, all five girls woke up screaming.   
"It's happening again..." Willow's voice was quiet.  
"What is?" Dawn asked, her voice entering a high pitch.  
The three elder girls who had lived on the hellmouth longer than the other - the slayer, the witch and the ex-demon, all looked at each other and said simultaneously;  
"The end of the world."  
  
*******Los Angeles, California*******  
  
Faith looked out of the window in the old apartment she was sleeping in. Her on again, off again boyfriend looked at her and asked;  
"Did you have a bad dream?" Normally Faith wouldn't have even bothered looking at him, but tonight she answered.  
"Yeah."  
"What of?"  
"The end of the world."  
  


TBC….

Reviews Welcome 


	2. Meetings

The Prophecy 

**Disclaimer – The characters from Charmed, Buffy the Vampire Slayer & Angel the Series belong to Constance M. Burge/Brad Kern, Joss Whedon, and whoever owns Angel. However any characters you don't recognize belong to me. I am merely borrowing the characters and hoping they'll stay for a long, long, time….lol.**

**A.N. Thanx to all those people who reviewed, it's appreciated!**

**Part 2  
**  
Faith looked out at the city. This was her home, her hell. She shared with thousands of others, but she was completely alone. She supposed she should go find Angel. He had been in the dream, with Cordelia and Wesley, as had been the whole gang from Sunnydale, as well as three other women, and two other guys that she didn't know. Her latest fling had left early this morning, not wanting to deal with Faith and the mood she had been in ever since the dream. 

  
"Well, Angel…looks like you're gonna be seeing your old buddy sooner than you thought…" She said out loud, and then jumped off the roof of the two-level building.   
  
********************************

  
"Cordy…what else was in your vision?" Wesley's voice penetrated the thick fog that her mind had been enveloped in ever since the vision.   
"Us…the rest of the Scooby's…Faith…and some other's - witches, I think." Cordelia muttered when she finally processed the request.  
"What about the location? Where were we? L.A, Sunnydale, where?" Angel continued the questioning.  
"I don't know. But when I saw us and Faith, I also had flashes of L.A. The same was for Buffy and the others - I saw the Bronze, that coffee place, the Summer's house. And since we actually live in the places I saw, I'm guessing that the other's are from San Francisco." Cordelia was tired, and she was getting pissed at both of her friends.

  
"How?" Wesley spoke this time.  
"I saw the Golden Gate Bridge, the park, a club called P3 and an office for a magazine called 415." Angel was about to speak when he was cut off by a familiar voice.  
"So you saw it too, huh?" Faith walked in, curiosity on her face.

  
"What - the whole end of the world thingie?" Cordelia asked, brightening. _'Finally - another female to talk to - I mean, jeez! I like both of them, but sometimes Angel and Wesley both need to get a life. Not that having Faith here is anything to be happy about, but still…' _  
"Yep. So what do you guys say - a trip to the hellmouth?" Faith looked around at them, and then smiled when they all apprehensively nodded. All four of them had their own reasons for not wanting to return, but it looked like that the city of angels wanted them out - so they would go out. An hour later, they were all settled in a van with tinted windows, heading out of L.A, and straight to hell. Or at least the mouth of it.   
  
*****************************************  
Prue sat on the small couch that was in their attic and glared at both her mom and grandmother.   
"So how exactly are we supposed to go up to her and tell her that we're her sisters?" Piper asked confused. She still couldn't believe that she had another sister out there. Prue looked at her, and then narrowed her eyes when she caught the swift, but meaningful, glance that her grandmother gave her mom.

  
"What else aren't you telling us?" Prue's voice was cold and resigned. At the moment, nothing else could surprise her. The world's hottest guy could probably jump out at her butt naked, and she didn't think she would blink.   
"Uh…she already knows that she's a witch. And that you girls are her sisters. She's known for the last couple of years, but she was forbidden from having any contact with you." Ok, maybe she was wrong. She could be surprised. Prue turned incredulous eyes towards the two spirits and then just got up and walked out, unheeding of the calls that followed her exit. 

  
"She knew…she knew all of that time, and you wouldn't let us know?" Piper was furious. She ran after her sister, leaving Cole and Leo with the two dead women.  
"PRUE!!! Wait." Piper called after her sister, and then slamming the door to the manor shut, hopped into the passenger seat of Prue's car.  
"Let's go see our sister." They were the only words to come out Prue's mouth during the whole trip to South Bay Social Services. She pulled the car into an empty parking space and then hopped out. Both Halliwell's strode in, ignoring the protests that they weren't allowed to go inside. Though they had no idea what Paige looked like, they thought that they would recognize her if they saw her. And they did - she was sitting at her desk, looking at them like she had seen ghosts. Prue walked up to her and then said softly;  
"Hey sis."  
  
*****************************************

  
They all stared at each other, trying to figure out what to do next.   
"G-man…what's up with the dreams that they all had?" Xander broke the silence, his arm placed comfortingly around Anya.   
"I don't know. You say that Angel and Faith, as well as Cordelia and Wesley were there?" The normally calm Watcher was extremely nervous.  
"Yep." That was the only reply he got, and it came from Willow.  
"Looks like the Scooby's are getting together again. It'll be one big happy reunion!" Xander's lame attempt at a joke earned him a glare from Buffy, who was not happy about seeing Angel again. "Well, maybe not a happy reunion," he amended.

  
"There were other's there as well. Three women and two men. I think the women were witches." Willow spoke again.  
"The dark-haired guy was a demon. Belthazor. I used to know him when I was a vengeance demon."  
"You're kidding me." This was Spike, and his voice was laced with disbelief.  
"You know him?" Giles was interested in this, though he normally loathed the vampire.  
"I guess the rumors are true then. Cole did get himself hooked up with a witch." Spike said mainly to himself, ignoring Giles.  
"Cole?" Dawn asked. "I thought his name was Belthazor?"  
"He's a half demon."  
"Oh."  
"Well…I know who the three witches must be, then. And the other guy must have been their whitelighter."  
"Who are they? And what's a whitelighter?" Buffy spoke for the first time, and she shot daggers at Spike.  
"A whitelighter's sort of like a guardian angel to witches. And as for the witches themselves; well let's just say that however powerful Red and Tara have become, these witches are about ten times that." Spike reverted to the use of his nickname for Willow, and all of them stared at him in surprise. 

  
"Well…who are they?" Giles asked exasperatedly.  
"They're descended of the Warren line…" Spike was about to say more when Anya gasped.  
"You're kidding me. But…they're just a legend…a myth!"   
"What???? Who???" Xander, as usual, was confused.  
"The Charmed One's. The three most powerful witches the side of good has ever known."   
  


TBC

Reviews welcome

Email me at astral_angel_from_hell@yahoo.com.au 


	3. It Get's A Little Bit Clearer

The Prophecy 

**Disclaimer – The characters from Charmed, Buffy the Vampire Slayer & Angel the Series belong to Constance M. Burge/Brad Kern, Joss Whedon, and whoever owns Angel. However any characters you don't recognize belong to me. I am merely borrowing the characters and hoping they'll stay for a long, long, time….lol.**

**Part 3  
  
A.N: The ghost roads mentioned in this are from the Buffy books 'Out of the Madhouse', 'Ghost Roads' and 'Sons of Entropy'. The parts about them having traveled on them previously are also out of the books.  **

**P.S. Thanx to all those that reviewed. It's a lot of help. Oh, and you can now leave Anon. Reviews…  
**  
  
**********************************************  
"The who?" Xander asked. Anya was still shocked, and Giles, Willow and Tara all had varying expressions of disbelief.   
"The Charmed One's, sweetie." Anya said softly.  
"They exist? But how? I mean none of the portents have shown it, or the Watcher's Council would have let us know. They would be valuable allies, I should think." Giles sounded affronted at the idea that such a powerful force had arisen, and he, as Watcher to one of the two current Slayers, didn't know about it.   
"Well, why don't you call them and ask?" Dawn asked matter-of-factly. The others all nodded and turned to Giles, who nodded and then picked up the phone. Ten minute's later he hung up and then looked at them. He was about to speak when the phone rang. He answered, looked surprised, then nodded. There were a few 'mms' and 'uh huh' and then finally, 'yes, well then, I'll see you in a few minutes.' When they all gave him curious stares, he spoke.  
"That was Cordelia on the phone. It seems she had a vision that was very similar to your dreams, so the three of them are coming here. They'll be here in a few minutes."   
"Dead-boy's coming back? Wait…Cordelia's coming back?" Xander asked Giles unhappily.  
"Yes, I assume that that is what he just said." Spike said derisively.   
"There's more. Apparently Faith had the same dream, so she's coming back with them." Giles voice was even in tone, as he looked to see Buffy's reaction. Surprisingly, it was Dawn who spoke, not Buffy.  
"You mean Faith, as in, Faith…psycho-crazy loony slayer?" Her voice shook a bit.  
"That's exactly who he means lil'bit. Only I don't think Angel would bring her along if she was still a 'psycho-crazy loony slayer', as you put it." Spike answered for Giles again, though this time his tone was a lot gentler.  
"So what did the council say?" Tara asked, trying to change the subject. She hated the tension that arose in the group whenever anyone mentioned Angel, Cordelia or Faith.   
"Huh? Oh right. Apparently, the charmed ones do exist. Their powers were unleashed about three years ago. Prue, Piper and Phoebe Halliwell. Their whitelighter is a guy called Leo Wyatt. But then things changed." Giles voice held a note of up-coming doom.   
"What changed?" Spike said for the sake of it. He didn't want to know about the witches. Anyone who wielded that kind of power, and especially if it was a woman, was to be avoided. And there were three of them to make matters worse.  
"Do you guys remember last week? And there was a day that was really hazy? As if we were living deja-vu?" When everyone nodded, he continued. "Well, that was because the day was reset twice."  
"Huh?"  
"Wha?"  
"Reset?"  
"How?"  
"Apparently, the youngest, Phoebe, went to the underworld, for some reason or the other. During that time, the two older sisters went up against Shax, a hit-man for the Source. They were-" He was cut off by Buffy.  
"Who's the source?" He glared at her, and then went on.  
"He's the most powerful of all demons. Their leader so to speak."  
"Why haven't I faced him yet?"  
"Be glad you haven't yet Slayer. You wouldn't last ten minutes against him. And for him to send Shax against the witches - let's just say they must have been really pissing him off." Spike's voice had gone back to his 'I'm the big bad, stuff everyone else' tone.   
"Yes, well, if you've all finished, I will continue." When he saw everyone look at him again, he started off again. "As I was saying, the Source sent Shax against the two elder witches. They managed to vanquish him, but unfortunately it got caught on live-television. During the aftermath that followed, the middle sister, Piper got shot. Their whitelighter was unable to save her, so the youngest made a deal with the Source. One of the demons at his disposal, Tempest, I think, had the power to turn back time. The deal was that she would stay in the underworld and willingly turn evil if time was turned back by a day, and Cole/Belthazor was able to go and warn her sisters about Shax and the camera crew. The Source agreed, and then stopped Cole from warning them. This time though, they were unable to vanquish Shax, and the eldest was killed. Leo was able to heal the middle sister, and he then went down to the underworld to get the youngest. They then got Tempest to turn back time again, and the eldest two lived. The youngest died, and turning back time in such close proximity killed Tempest. So the charmed one's were no longer."  
"So there are no more charmed one's?" Willow asked; she really wanted to meet them.  
"No. The charmed one's still exist. A couple of days ago, it came to light that there was a fourth Halliwell sister. Apparently about a year before she died, their mother had had an affair with her whitelighter. Since relationships between whitelighter's and witches are strictly forbidden, she had to give their baby up. The girl's name is Paige, and two days ago she reformed the bond, and the charmed one's are once more."  
"So they do exist." A statement from Tara - the once shy girl was now getting bolder in group discussions, though she still didn't speak out as much as she could.  
"Yep. Willow, the council is going to send an email to you on one of those horrible computer thingies - it'll contain pictures of the three remaining witches and their address. So I was thinking that when Angel and Cordelia get here, you could open the ghost roads and get us to them. We have no idea of how far we have to travel, and time is of utmost essence." Giles began searching through their supplies.  
"I'm guessing that they're from San Francisco." Buffy spoke softly. She nervously looked at her watch. She really didn't want to see Angel. On the other hand she really did.   
"Really? Why is that?" Giles looked up sharply.   
"The dream. It had scenes of Sunnydale when we saw us, of L.A when we saw Cordy and them, and then there was San Francisco when the witches appeared." Dawn answered seeing as her older sister had tuned Giles out.   
"Well, then that will be easier. Willow, has that email come through?" He spoke kindly to both girls, and then frowned at Buffy, who jumped up when the door to the Magic Shop opened. They all turned to look at their old friends.   
"Dead-boy. Cordelia. Wesley." Xander nodded to each of them in turn. He deliberately left Faith out, and missed the brief look of hurt that flashed in her face. Buffy didn't though, and she was surprised. _'Yeah, that's right blondie…I'm not allowed to have feelings. Everyone except Faith is allowed to have feelings…I should never have come…they all hate me…I'm not surprised…hell, I hate me…'_   
"Everyone." Wesley was the only one out of the new-comers to speak. They were all un-comfortable, but his British up-bringing meant that he had to make pleasantries.   
And so the silence began as they all stared at each other. Willow's computer broke the silence - she had finally received the e-mail. They all gratefully turned to the computer and watched as Willow brought up the photos.   
"That's them. According to the memo, the one on the left is Prue, the one in the middle is Piper and the one on the right is Phoebe. She's the one that died, and the one by herself is Paige. The guy is Leo, their whitelighter." She pointed at each one in turn. _'Wow…they're all gorgeous…not that I'd give up Tara…but still. Hehehe…I think that Spike thinks the same…he can't stop looking…Xander's not much better, but at least Angel and Wesley are trying to be discreet about it. Hey…Faith's not even looking…' _She then said, "Their address is in San Francisco."   
"See…I told you so." Buffy and Cordelia spoke at the same time, though the latter was speaking to Angel and Wesley. They looked at each other, and both gave small tentative half-smiles.   
"Yes…well, is everyone ready to go?" Giles asked impatiently.  
"Go? Go where?" Angel asked back.  
"To San Francisco. If everyone's ready, I can open a breach to the ghost roads."  
"No way! There is no way you are getting me on those roads again." Cordelia was terrified of those roads - she still had nightmares from the last time that she and Willow traveled on them. _'Oh god…they want me to get on those stupid roads…I can't…I won't…not on those roads…'_   
"Cordy, you really don't want to get back in the car with Angel driving, do you?" Wesley teased. Cordelia shot Angel a terrified look, and then turned to Willow.  
"Get that damned breach open before I change my mind."  
"Hey! I'm not that bad…am I?" He half-asked, with a wounded expression on his face. They all ignored him, preferring to wait for Willow to open the breach. A couple of seconds later, a rip in the air appeared. Through it you could see a large desolate area.   
"Whoa…we're going in that?" Dawn asked nervously.  
"C'mon lil'bit. I'll protect you. But only you." Spike said, and then he jumped in, pulling Dawn behind him.   
"Hey! Wait up!" Willow cried out. She was in no hurry to revisit the ghost roads again either, but she really, really wanted to meet the witches. _Ugh…why couldn't have Giles have suggested driving instead…so much safer…so much less ghosts…no…bad Willow…you promised yourself that you wouldn't be such a fraidy-cat anymore…so deal with this stupid fear you have of it…oh, why did Giles have to remember the stupid ghost roads…here goes…'_ She dived in, with Tara and Buffy close behind. Giles and Wesley followed, and the Anya and Xander gave each other one last look and then walked in hand in hand. Angel looked at Cordelia, and was stunned by the look on her face. He had traveled the ghost roads before, and they scared him. He couldn't even begin to imagine how Cordelia and Willow must have felt, battling the ghosts and trying to get a mortally wounded Xander to Boston.   
"Cordelia…you coming?" He asked gently. Then without waiting for an answer, he grabbed her hand and jumped in. The portal closed behind them, leaving a slightly acidic smell in the shop.   
  
  


*******************************************  
"Hey Piper? What's wrong with Prue?" Paige spoke softly, shooting a look at Prue who was grabbing her keys, dressed in a black halter-top, and black bootlegs.   
"I'll be back in a couple of hours." Prue's eyes were red, and her voice was hoarse.   
"Take your time sweetie. Is Darryl going with you?" Piper replied, motioning for Paige to wait till Prue was gone.  
"Yeah. I'm picking him up." With that, she smiled half-heartedly and left.  
"What was that all about? Where's she going?" Paige asked confused. She turned to Piper, who started to speak when Cole shimmered in. "Hey Cole." Piper smiled at him in greeting, and Cole sat down on the chair Prue had recently vacated.  
"Hey guys."   
"So, Piper? What's up with Prue? Where'd she go?? Paige bugged Piper.  
"Prue? What's wrong with her?" Cole asked interestedly.   
"Today's just a really bad day for her." Piper said evasively. She got up and put her and Paige's dishes into the sink.  
"What's so bad about today?" Cole asked.   
"And where did she go?"   
"Jeez…what's with all the questions?" Piper asked irritated. When she saw the hurt look on Paige's face, she softened. "It's not a really good day for me either. Sorry if I'm a bit short with you."   
"It's ok, I just want to know why Prue looked like she had spent half the night crying." Paige said softly. Cole was surprised.   
"Prue spent half the night crying?"   
"Look, its hard to explain. Cole, did Phoebe ever tell you anything about Andy?" Piper said softly, turning to Cole. When he shook his head, Piper got up and headed up the stairs.   
"Piper…where are you going?" Paige asked curiously, following her with Cole not far behind. Piper headed into Prue's room and began rummaging around in Prue's closet. She pulled out an old box from the bottom and then placed it on Prue's bed. She pulled out a photo from the top of the pile.   
"This is Andy." It was all she said, pointing to the photo. It was one of Andy and Prue just before they broke up. Paige picked it up.   
"He's cute. They look good together. What happened? Couldn't he deal with Prue being a witch or something?" Piper smiled wistfully and then put the photo and the box back. She then headed into the attic. They followed.  
"Prue and Andy had been best friends since pre-school. They began dating in high school. They broke up just before college. And then a couple of days after we got our powers, they met up again. Sparks flew and they started going out again. Eventually they broke up because he couldn't deal with Prue lying to him all the time. He was Darryl's partner, and he wanted to know why his girl friend and her sisters were always at murder scenes. Then he found out about us being witches. They didn't get back together for a while, but a couple of days later, the Source sent Tempest after us. We got stuck in a time loop and then Andy died saving our lives. He died today three years ago." Paige and Cole looked shocked. "That's why she looks a bit sad today. Darryl and Prue go to his grave every year."   
"I don't know what to say…poor Prue." Paige's voice was soft. Cole was about to say something when Leo orbed in.   
"Hey honey." Piper smiled at him. He looked serious. "What's wrong? Did the elders find out more about Prue's premonition? Wow…that felt so weird saying that…"   
"The others in Prue's premonition will be here in a couple of minutes. A couple of your old friends, Cole, are with them too, apparently. Two vampires - William and Angelus, and a vengeance demon - Anyanka. Where's Prue?" Leo asked, looking around.   
"At the cemetery. Why are they coming here?" Paige asked, at the same time as Cole spoke.  
"Oh boy…those three? Here?" Just as Leo was about to speak, a rip in the air appeared. A lot of people popped out, with two of them holding blankets over their bodies.   
"I'm guessing that that's them?" Piper asked dryly, pulling the drapes so the sunlight would be blocked. "Hi. How's it going?" She asked cheerfully as the two blankets got unceremoniously pulled off. She studied the group in front of her. There actually seemed to be two separate groups, one of three, and the rest in the other. There was a lone girl standing by herself. She looked again and then blinked. _'It couldn't be her…could it? But it looks like her…but then again, it's been years since I've seen her. It couldn't hurt to try though…' _"Fai…Faith?" Her voice shook, and they all looked up.   
  
*****************************************  
"I'll wait for you in the car…" Darryl said softly, before walking away quietly. Prue turned to watch him and then turned back to Andy's grave.   
"Well Andy…it's been three years…but I made it…it's been hard, but I made it. God, Andy…why'd you have to go and leave…and now I've lost Phoebe too. It doesn't seem fair…it's not fair that I had to watch mom die…that I had to practically raise Piper and Phoebe…that I lost you. I love Paige, and I can't help but like her. You remember when you said that to me once. It was after I had had that huge fight with Phoebe. You told me that to love a person, it wasn't absolutely necessary to like them. You have no idea how much I kept to that saying when I was in college. Hey Andy…thank you." Prue was turning to leave when she was jerked into a sudden premonition. _Darkness…that same group of people…fighting…something else…someth - . _"What?" _'what just happened? I was having a premonition, when all of a sudden it got cut off…I better get back to the manor…'_   
  
***********************************  
"Piper? Oh my god…if it isn't cousin Piper." Faith was stunned to say the least.   
"Faith? What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be back in New York with Aunt Amy?"   
"She's your cousin?" Paige asked Piper.  
"Yeah, from Victor's side."   
"You guys still pissed at Uncle Vic? Last I heard, even Prue had decided to give him a chance." Faith asked curiously.   
"Well, that was before he couldn't be bothered to show up at his own daughter's funeral. And if you thought Prue was pissed at him before, mention him to her right now and see what her reaction is." Piper said bitterly.   
"I can imagine…where is Prue anyway? And who's she?" Before Piper or Paige could answer, Cordelia butted in.   
"Faith…aren't you gonna introduce us?" Her voice was painfully cheery. Paige and Piper both winced inwardly, and then smiled when Faith scowled.  
"Sure…guys, that's my cousin Piper, I have no idea who the rest of them are, and Piper, these are my…uh…my associates, if you will, Buffy, Willow, Xander, Dawn, Spike, Giles, Angel, Cordelia, Wesley and Tara." After a whole lot of 'hellos', Piper spoke.   
"That's Leo, he's my husband, that's Paige, she's my sister and that's Cole, he's a good friend."   
"Belthazor." Angel said evenly.  
"Angelus. And I go by Cole now."   
"Much as I hate to ruin this little reunion, Piper, where's Prue? And I'm really sorry to hear about Phoebe. She was fun." Piper was about to answer when they heard the front door slam. They all followed Piper and Paige down the stairs where they saw Prue and Darryl arguing.  
"What's the big deal Darryl? Why do I have to turn on the damn tv? I have to talk to Piper and Paige."  
"Just watch Prue." Darryl dug up the remote and switched the set on. There was a news update going on.   
_'Breaking news today…a riot at San Francisco Prison broke out today, leaving two prisoner's and a guard dead. One of the deceased is one Bane Jessup…'_   
Prue's face whitened as she watched, and she slumped down on the sofa. Darryl switched the tv off and turned to look at her.  
"I got the call while I was in the car. I knew the two of you had some sort of history, but I didn't know how to tell you. Are you okay?" Prue laughed bitterly, and then said;  
"Aren't I always." She paused and then spoke again when she saw Piper. "Hey guys. Hey wait…you're the one's from my premonition…oh my god….Faith?"   
"Hey Prue…" Faith said quietly. _'Wow…Prue looks terrible…I wonder what happened? It can't be all from Phoebe's death…and Prue was always better at keeping things in…'_   
"Prue, sweetie…what's wrong?" They had missed the broadcast. When Prue didn't say anything, Darryl answered for her.  
"There was a riot at the prison…Bane's dead." While everyone else just looked confused, Piper looked upwards and swore viciously.   
"Why today of all days? Haven't we…hasn't she been through enough?" All of this was said under her breath, and no one else heard.   
"Who's Bane?" Paige asked Leo.  
"Don't look at me, I don't know." Was all they got out of him. Hearing his voice, Prue seemed to shake out of it.   
"Leo, I had a premonition today, except it got cut off right at the end."   
"What do you mean?"  
"I mean someone just hit pause…stop…what ever…it just stopped." She then turned to Piper and asked, "What are they doing here?" Before Piper could speak, there was a general outcry of;  
"Giles told us to get our butts here," from all the Sunnydale'rs except for Giles. Spike just scowled and looked outside.   
"Oh…right…ok." Prue nodded and then got up and started going up the stairs.   
"Where are you going?"   
"I'm gonna take a shower…something tells me it'll be a while before I'll be able to take another one…" 

TBC


	4. Anger, Grams & Truth Spells

The Prophecy 

Disclaimer – The characters from Charmed, Buffy the Vampire Slayer & Angel the Series belong to Constance M. Burge/Brad Kern, Joss Whedon, and whoever owns Angel. However any characters you don't recognize belong to me. I am merely borrowing the characters and hoping they'll stay for a long, long, time….lol.

**Part 4**   
  
She stood underneath the shower head, letting the water bead over her body. She slumped against the wall, and let the tears that she had been holding in finally come out. She cried for a lot of things, and she cried for nothing. Her sobs were drowned out by the sound of the water running, and she was glad. Her head was filled with thoughts of Andy and Bane. She couldn't believe it. Downstairs she had been ready to burst in tears, and hating it. She had been relieved when Piper had walked in with everyone else. 

  
She turned the water temperature up, reveling in the heat. She was so cold, more inside than out. She didn't understand why everything had to happen to her. Lost loves, lost time. She was pissed off with the world, and now that she had let out some of her grief, her anger began to show. The medicine cabinet door swung open and shut. The bottles and small boxes of liquid and pills fell out. The window slammed shut. Things began to fly around. The mirror cracked. And Prue Halliwell stood in the shower stall with her eyes closed, tears on her cheeks, her head bowed, and she didn't care.   
  
***************************************  
  
They were all perched somewhere in the living room, looking at each other warily. Darryl was about to ask Piper something when a whole lot of sounds were heard. Everyone except the Halliwells, Leo and Cole, shot up, startled. A few more crashes and bangs happened, and then the sound of breaking glass appeared over the top of the other noises.    
"Are you going to just sit there?" Buffy glared at Piper and Paige, while Faith shot nervous looks up the stairs.  
"Sit down." Paige said off-handedly. Everyone gave them weird looks and stayed standing.  
"You're sisters up there with who knows what, and you're telling us to sit down?" Cordelia asked her, and then followed the others, who were starting to head up the stairs. Piper shot her hands out and froze their bodies.  
"PIPER!" Paige was amazed.  
"Whaat?"   
"You didn't know that they would freeze! You could have blown them up!"  
"You froze us?" Angel's voice was incredulous. More noises were heard and they all stared back at Piper.   
"She's gonna get hurt." Anya said matter-of-factly.   
"My sister is just fine. She's probably just really pissed off. And if you go up there right now and barge in on her, you're probably likely to find yourselves somewhere that's not here." Piper said calmly, and ignored the strange looks that she was given.   
"Prue's telekinetic. Her power are tied in with her emotions, and occasionally she let's them loose." Leo hurriedly explained.  
"So all those noises - they're just because she's pissed off?" Faith asked hesitantly. When they nodded, Spike gave a small half-laugh.  
"Remind me not to piss her off. Now can you bloody well unfreeze us?" Piper smiled and then waved her hand. They all were all coming back down when Piper said,  
"Keep going into the attic. It's probably the safest place. Darryl, are you going to stay?" He shook his head and waved goodbye. After walking Darryl out, Leo joined them all in the attic. Piper and Paige were by the book, and Willow and Tara were next to them. Piper motioned him over, and was about to speak when suddenly Penny & Patty Halliwell appeared.

  
"Mom? Grams?" Piper said hesitantly, shooting a look towards Paige.   
"Hello darling." Patty spoke, and then turned to face Paige. "You're beautiful, and you've made me so proud. I really hope that you understand why your grandmother and I decided to give you up." Paige latched onto Patty and nodded slowly.   
"Aunt Patty?" Faith was stunned to say the least. "But…you're dead. And so are you!" She motioned towards Penny.  
"Faith. You're the Slayer. You should know that anything's possible." She said warmly to her niece.   
"They're dead?" Xander asked Anya. Ignoring him, Piper spoke again.  
"Mom, Grams, what's going on? Who are they? And what are they doing here?"   
"That's why we're here." Penny answered. "They said that something big has come up. You'll know more once he gets here. But first you have to get to know each other. And They said that it had to be completely honest as well - so They want you to cast the truth spell."   
"When who gets here? And we can't cast the truth spell. After Prue cast it last time, it disappeared from the book." Piper was confused, and it showed. 

  
"He's an...well, we can't really explain him yet. And hopefully Prue will remember the spell." Grams waved and then disappeared.  
"Are you going as well?" Paige asked Patty, moving away so she could look at her properly. Patty nodded sadly and smiled at her daughters.   
"Tell Prue that I'm really sorry about what happened." Patty said softly to Piper and then vanished.   
"Now what? And what's a truth spell?" Willow asked interestedly.  
"Now we wait for Prue. And I have no idea what the truth spell is. Piper?" Paige told Willow and then turned to Piper.  
"A truth spell is just that. A spell that makes you tell the truth for twenty-four hours. Prue knows more about it. She's the one who cast it." Piper slammed the book shut and then stared at the approaching sunset through the window. "I'm gonna make some coffee. Anyone want some?" She offered, heading downstairs. They all shrugged, and then followed her downstairs. Paige was the last one out, and she gave the room one last look and then slowly shut the door.  
  
**************************************  
  
Prue finally opened her eyes, and turned then stopped the water. She stood there with her head bowed, water dripping off her body. As if waking from a trance, she gave a little shudder and then looked up. Immediately, everything stopped flying around and fell to the floor. She opened the stall door, and surveyed the damage. With a wave of her hand, everything was in its rightful place. She didn't see the shards of glass on the floor and stepped on them. 

  
She stared in fascination at the blood seeping from the soles of her feet as she sat on the edge of the tub. The blood began to pool at her feet and it didn't hurt. She was staring at her blood, and it freaked her out. She shuddered again, and then swung around so that her feet were in the tub. After washing the blood off, and covering the wounds with bandages, she waved her hand again, this time chucking the glass into the bin. She wiped the blood of the floor, and winced as pain shot through her. After drying herself off, she wrapped herself in her towel and then walked to her room, flinching as each step brought a jolting bolt of pain with it. 

  
She sat on the edge of her bed, staring at herself in the mirror. She slowly waved her hand around, shutting the curtains, pulling out clothes. She was finally dressed, and decided that she would go barefoot for a while. She didn't doubt the fact that shoes would bring more pain. She gave a sad smile to herself and then headed down the stairs, trying not to look as if she was limping. Prue wandered into the kitchen, and then stared at everybody. 

  
"Prue…guess what! I met mom!" Paige's voice was filled with excitement as she looked towards her older sister. Prue looked at Piper, who answered the unasked question.   
"Apparently someone else is coming, some guy, but they didn't tell us anything about him. And the Elders want you to cast the truth spell so we can get to know each other. Honestly." She gave a wry smile, and then motioned for Prue to get some coffee. Her eyes narrowed as she noticed that Prue was walking slowly. Her eyes picked up little traces of red on white patches on the soles of Prue's feet. "You're hurt."   
"Huh? Oh, I just stepped on some glass. It's fine." Prue shrugged dismissively and turned back to her coffee. In doing so, she missed Piper's face change. 

  
"God damnit Prue!" Everyone stared at her in surprise.   
"What?" Prue looked at Piper calmly.  
"Uh, Prue, do you remember the truth spell?" Leo cut in anxiously - he knew what fight's between the sisters were like. Heaven help those who got caught in between.  
Giving Piper a look that said clearly, 'we'll discuss this later', she spoke to Leo.  
"Yep. Do you want me to say it now?"   
"Before you cast a spell on us, what is a truth spell?" Tara asked hesitantly. Prue thought for a couple of seconds and then replied.

  
"Well, it lasts for 24 hours. It basically means that if you ask anybody a question, or anybody asks you one, you can only answer honestly, even if you try to lie. The spell covers anyone who's in the house, and they're the only ones who remember it. Everyone else forgets. Can I cast it now?" When everyone nodded, she spoke in a strong, clear voice, casting the spell.  
  
_"For those who want the truth revealed  
Opened hearts and secrets unsealed  
From now until it is now again  
After which the memory ends.  
Those who now are in this house  
Will hear the truth from others mouths"_   
  
They all stared at each other, wondering where to go from here next.   
  
**TBC.**

**Reviews wanted, needed, soon, now.**

**Thanx to all those that have reviewed.**


	5. Truth's and Empaths

The Prophecy 

**Disclaimer – The characters from Charmed, Buffy the Vampire Slayer & Angel the Series belong to Constance M. Burge/Brad Kern, Joss Whedon, and whoever owns Angel. However any characters you don't recognize belong to me. I am merely borrowing the characters and hoping they'll stay for a long, long, time….lol.  
  
Part 5**   
  
"Sooo…" Willow said nervously. They all looked at each other uncertainly until Spike suddenly spoke.  
"Oh for gods sake! Why don't we go somewhere and talk, like whoever 'they' are want us to." Prue nodded, and was leading them into the living room, when she suddenly stopped, and smiled wistfully.  
"Prue, what is it?" Piper asked her, worried.  
"Hmm? Oh, nothing." Prue smiled half-heartedly and sat down behind the others, while Piper looked confused.  
"Prue? Where did you and Andy go for senior prom?" Piper finally questioned, and they all looked at her as if she'd suddenly sprouted another head.  
"Piper?"  
"Just answer the question Prue!"   
"Sure…uh, we went to a nightclub. Why?" Prue replied, and then realized what she had just said. Almost simultaneously the two elder siblings turned towards the others and spoke.  
"The spell didn't work." They glanced at each other, Prue visibly startled, Piper nervous.  
"Piper? How did you know that I wasn't telling the truth?" She asked her sister hesitantly. Piper looked around trying to figure out how to get out of it. She decided that telling a little white lie would be for the best.  
"Remember Duran Duran? You got pretty wasted afterwards, and let it slip."  
"I got drunk. Oh." Prue looked like she was going to ask something else, and then noticed that Piper had just clapped her hand over her mouth.

  
"We have a problem." Piper said just as Faith spoke.  
"Wow. Perfect cousin Prue got drunk? And not just drunk, but wasted?"   
"Can it Faith." Prue said dangerously, her eyes glinting. The normally fearless Faith paled and shut up. Buffy looked at Faith and smirked.   
"Paige, I'm gonna ask you something. Except I want you to try and lie about it, kay?" When Paige nodded, Piper continued. "Paige, are you a Halliwell?"   
"Yes." They all looked startled. "Piper, Prue? I tried to lie. I was going to say no."  
"That's what I thought." Piper smiled grimly. "The spell worked on everyone except Prue."  
"Why?" Anya asked.   
"I have no idea. Leo, could you check with the elders?" Prue replied, turning to Leo, who nodded, and orbed out. The others looked at the space where he had just been in amazement.   
"Well…this is bloody great!" That, of course, came from a certain peroxide blonde vampire. Picking up piece of camera equipment that she had left lying around, Prue gave him a withering look and was about to speak when she was hit with a premonition. 

  
_'Darkness…pain…her sisters and the others fighting hordes of demons…warlocks…they all looked exhausted…blood everywhere…herself fighting with…oh god… and then she was lying motionless…a pool of crimson surrounding her…her opponent standing above her…' _

  
"Well…this is one reason I'm glad that the spell didn't work…" She muttered under her breath. No-one heard her, they were all to busy studying her pale cheeks and trembling hands. No-one except the two vampires, that is. Angel shared a look with his childe and then they both turned narrow-eyed gazes at Prue, who was still recovering from the effects of the premonition. 

  
"Damnit!" Piper swore softly, taking in her sister's pallor. "Prue, what did you see?"   
"Huh? Oh, um, we were fighting a lot of demons. We were in the underworld. That's about it." Prue decided that not being affected by the truth spell wasn't such a bad thing. When Leo orbed back in with a pained expression on his face, she quickly changed her mind.   
"Leo? What did the Elders say?" Prue asked him, almost dreading the answer. Leo looked at her for a second and then spoke.  
"Prue? Can I talk to you? Alone?" Prue gave him a puzzled stare, and then nodded. Leo glanced at the two vampires and decided that they would be better off just orbing out. He held Prue's arm, and orbed them out. When Paige gave Piper a confused glance, Angel decided to help them out a bit.  
"Vampire's have extremely sensitized senses - we would probably hear whatever they ended up saying. I don't think that the guy would want that." When Piper and Paige nodded they all sat there in relative silence, waiting for Prue and Leo to get back.  
  
**************************************  
"Leo? What is it? And why did we come here?" Prue asked Leo, confused.   
"The two vampires would most likely hear what I would have to say - and I thought that it would be best if I told you…and then you could tell Piper, thus saving her from killing me." Leo shot out in one breath, hoping that she didn't catch the last part. She did. She glanced at him sideways, and decided to ignore that. For now, at least.  
"So…what did the Elder's say? How come the spell didn't work for me?"   
"Um, I'm not quite sure how to say this, but well, 'they' are giving you another power."   
"What's the catch?"   
"What makes you think that there's a catch?"   
"Because you did not orb me to wherever the hell it is we are to tell me that I've been given a new power. So spill." Leo smiled nervously at her, and then spoke quickly.

  
"The power's one you've already had once. Remember the priest? Well, he died, and they decided to give you his powers."   
"Brendan? He's dead? I thought he'd lost his powers when he became a priest. Why would the Elder's give me a warlock's powers, anyway?" Leo gave her a blank look.  
"Who's Brendan? Whoever he is, I'm not talking about him - I'm talking about the crazy priest. The one with the empathic powers." He winced slightly, waiting for the reaction. It didn't come.  
"I get to be an empath again? Cool. Hey. Wait. Didn't I almost die?" She narrowed her eyes at him. Leo let out a sigh of relief.

  
"Oh, the Elder's are said that you would be able to handle it. You know what to expect."   
"Alright." They were about to orb out when Prue turned to him, her eyes flashing.  
"You want me to tell Piper, don't you?!" Leo winced again.   
"Uh…yeah." He quickly orbed them back to the manor.  
  
*****************************************  
"So…what'd they say?" Piper and Paige pounced on them as soon as they orbed in. Prue glared at Leo, and hesitated.   
"Piper…sweetie, I don't want you to get upset over this, but the Elder's are making me an empath again."   
"WHAT? NO WAY! Prue, you almost died last time they decided to make you an empath! No way!" Piper yelled, conveniently forgetting about the fact that it was Prue who had cast the spell. Prue glared at Piper and then yelled back. 

  
"Well, it's not like I actually did die Piper! I'm here aren't I? Plus, I didn't ask for it! And I can handle it…I know I can."   
"Oh, I forgot. Nothing can hurt the mighty, fearless, Prue Halliwell. Not even death. Damnit Prue, you didn't even cry at her funeral!"   
"When did this become about Phoebe? You can't even say her name Piper! And don't you dare judge me…don't you dare!"   
"Why? Why the hell shouldn't I? You seem to have gotten over her pretty fast! She's only been dead a couple of weeks…and you're acting as if there's nothing wrong! But then again, why should I be surprised? It's not as if you and Phoebe ever got along! Do you even care that she's dead Prue? Do you?"   
"PIPER!" Paige yelled. Prue's face was deathly white, and her blue eyes were dark and stormy. She grabbed her keys and stormed out, her body rigid.  
"I can't believe you just said that to her!" Paige glared at Piper, and went after her oldest sister. The others who had been watching the two sisters fight avidly, glanced at the retreating figure of Paige, and the silent Piper while trying to keep their jaws from dropping.   
"Wow. And here I always believed that it was Phoebe and Prue who always fought." Faith carelessly commented, her eyes gleaming.  
"Faith. Shut up." Angel growled at her, and amazingly, Spike backed him up.  
"The poof is right."   
"Oh god…oh god…Leo, what have I done? How could I say that to my own sister?" Piper groaned, slumping down onto an armchair. Paige walked back into the room, a worried expression on her face.  
"She's gone." She announced.  
"What do you mean, she's gone." Leo asked her, and then concentrated as the Elders spoke to him. "Damnit!"   
"Leo? What did they say?" Paige asked confused, shooting a glance at Piper as if deciding something.   
"Along with the empath powers, they also gave her the power to teleport. So she could be anywhere right now." Seeing Piper's shoulders begin to shake, Paige walked up behind her and put a comforting hand around her sister's shaking shoulders.   
"Before we go on with this conversation, can someone tell us what an empath is?" Buffy and Xander asked together. Willow, Tara, Anya and Cordelia, being magickally inclined knew the answer already. Surprisingly, it was Spike who spoke.  
"An empath is someone who can feel other's emotions - whatever they feel, she feels." He snorted derisively, and then looked a bit impressed. "I'm actually surprised that she survived it - usually those who aren't born with it end up dead." 

  
"Yeah, well, she came pretty close." Piper finally said, small tear tracks on her face. Just then Prue appeared in the middle of the room, with a very pain filled look on her face. Piper swallowed guiltily and was about to speak when Prue collapsed. Angel scowled and then said,  
"I smell blood. She's been injured." Paige turned Prue onto her stomach and gasped. The back of her shirt had been torn up and she had several long gashes seeping blood. Paige put her hands out over Prue and waited for the familiar golden glow. After a couple of long miserable seconds, a warm glow spread over Prue's back and the wounds closed up.

  
"What the - did that just happen?" Buffy asked Giles, who replied after observing the witches for a couple more seconds.  
"I believe that she just healed her sister. But I thought that only whitelighter's had the power to heal someone?" He aimed the last question at Leo. Then he thought for a second and spoke. "Oh. She must be the witch that's half whitelighter?" Leo nodded, and then turned back to Prue and Paige. Prue sat up, and then winced. Making sure that her sister was comfortable; Paige turned to Giles and asked,  
"How do you know so much about us?"   
"The Watcher's Council. They sent us the information." He shifted uncomfortably, not used to explaining himself to others. 

  
"Prue. What happened?" Cole asked gently, making sure that he didn't get to close - the witch had been known to throw him quite a few times.  
"I don't know. One minute I was here, and then the next I was down in the underworld. Something big is going on. There must have been thousands of demon's gathering. I ran into a cave, and discovered that there were at least twenty different demons there. Not the best choice in hiding places, huh?" Prue grimaced a bit, and then sat up. "Anyway, I kept most of them at bay, and then a really disgusting squid like demon jumped on my back. Next thing I knew, I was back here."

"Prue…" Piper began softly, and was cut off by her older sister.   
"Not now Piper." She tentatively got up and then looked at all of them, but avoiding Piper's gaze. "Look, guys, we better figure out our game plan, and fast, because I don't think we're gonna have a lot of time."   
"Well, what do you suggest we do, Ms. Halliwell?" Wesley asked her, sounding very British.   
"It's Prue. And I suppose we all better get to know each other a bit more - that was what the truth spell was for anyway."  
"Oooh…I have an idea." Dawn broke out excitedly, and then stopped when Buffy glared at her. Spike, glaring at Buffy, spoke to Dawn.  
"Go on then lil'bit. What's this idea of yours. And don't mind your sister." Dawn smiled gratefully at Spike while Angel looked at his childe in surprise.

  
"Well, um, we could, um, you know, play a game. Sort of like truth or dare - except we won't have dare."   
"Ok, well then, that's what we'll do." Prue replied, smiling. She looked around, and then began waving her hand. Sofa's and chairs began shifting towards the edges of the room, leaving a clear space in the middle. They all gaped at her, and she simply said, "We have to sit in a circle, you know." Paige grinned at her sister and dragged a silent Piper to sit down. The other's all completed the haphazard circle, waiting for Prue, who had gone in search of a bottle. When she returned, she chucked the bottle into the center and sat down in between Buffy and Spike, seeing as it was the only space left. 

  
"How are we going to do this?" Paige asked Prue, who thought and then replied.  
"How bout we take turns spinning it, and if it lands on you, you have to tell us your name, how old you are, what you are, and what powers you have, if any. And then once everyone's had a turn, we can just ask whatever we want to know. Kay?" When everyone nodded, she motioned for Dawn to spin. When they looked at her, she added, "Well, it was her idea in the first place." Dawn smiled and then spun. It landed on Buffy.  
"Well, blondie, I guess that you're first." Faith sneered at the blonde slayer.

  
"Well, I'm Buffy Summers, I'm 21, I'm the Slayer, and I'm just really strong and fast." Seeing blank looks on the Halliwells, she added, "A vampire slayer kills vampires and any demons that we come across. Originally, there's only one per generation, but I kinda drowned so another slayer was called." She spun, and it landed on Leo.   
"My name's Leo Wyatt. I'm either 30 or 80, take your pick." When they looked at him, he explained. "I was 30 when I died, but I've been a whitelighter for 50 years. I have the power to heal and orb. Oh, and I can also sense my charges if they don't have a cloaking spell." He spun the bottle, and Spike growled. 

  
"The name's Spike or William. I'm around 140, and I'm a vampire. As Angel mentioned, we have super sensitized senses, we're extremely strong, and we love to drink blood." He grinned evilly at the Halliwells, and then continued. "Don't worry, this bloody chip in my head means I can't harm anything living. Demons on the other hand, are fair game. Oh, look, it's your turn." He motioned towards Prue, who scowled.  
"Prue Halliwell. I'm 30 and I'm a witch. My powers are telekinesis, astral projection, premonitions, and apparently, now I have empathy and teleportation." She said grinning at Paige, who was making faces at Piper trying to cheer her up. "Your turn." Angel smiled his smile, and began talking. 

  
"Well, I'm Angel, I'm 245, and I'm a vamp. I have the same specialties as Spike, except that I'm stronger and faster." He smirked at his childe who looked positively affronted. "I don't have a chip in my head, I have a soul." This went on around the room until everyone had said their bit. Then came the questions. Dawn, being the last one the bottle chose, spun the bottle. It landed on Spike. Dawn glanced at him, and then asked her question.   
"Spike…remember Buffy's 21st? Were you really mad at me for causing you guys to get stuck in the house?" Her voice was soft, and her eyes trained directly to him. Buffy and the others all turned to look as well.   
"No. Not at all, lil'bit." Spike's voice was gentle, and he ruffled her hair, while using his other hand to turn the bottle. It landed on Prue, who looked at him askance. 

  
"Prue, right?" When she nodded, he continued. "What was your little vision thingy really about?"   
"I told you." Prue said, wondering where this was going. Spike snorted and motioned for her to spin. Looking at Faith, Prue wondered what she was going to ask her younger cousin.  
"What's your deal Faith?" When Faith looked at her blankly, Prue continued. "You look utterly miserable. In fact, I know that you feel miserable." When they looked at her, she shrugged and added; "I must be getting my empathy powers now. Faith?"

"These last few years haven't been the best. I've done a lot of things that I'm not proud of." Faith said, studiously avoiding the various looks of disbelief on the gang from Sunnydale. She spun again, and this time it landed on Paige.

  
"So you're their half-sister, huh?" Paige nodded, and Faith continued. "What's it like? I mean, what's it like being part of the Halliwell family? I grew up listening to Uncle Vic talk about them, so I was just wondering." Prue and Piper looked at Paige, holding their breaths. Paige thought for a moment and then replied slowly.  
"Well…it's been great. I finally found my blood relatives, but at times, I feel like they're comparing me to Phoebe. And I so did not mean to say the last part."   
"One of the perks of the truth spell." Leo said, waiting to see who it would land on now. It was his wife. Paige thought, and then glancing between her two older sisters, spoke. 

  
"Piper. That argument that you and Prue had earlier on. Did you mean what you said?" This time it was Paige who held her breath along with Prue. This could either make or break the relationship between her sisters.   
"Some parts I did. Other's just came out in the heat of the moment. God, I'm sorry Prue. You know I could never mean that." Piper looked beseechingly at Prue who was saved a reply by her mother. She sprang up and walked to Patty, who was in human form.  
"Mom!" Prue hugged her mother, thanking 'them' for the interruption. She wasn't quite sure about what she felt about Piper right now. 

  
"As interesting as this little game of yours has been, I'm afraid I'm going to have to put a stop to it. 'He' is coming. In fact, he'll be here in a couple of seconds." Patty said, smiling at her eldest daughter.   
"Who is it, mom?"   
"He's really powerful, that's all I can say. Anything else, he'll have to tell you." Patty smiled at Piper and Paige, waved good bye and disappeared. Just then a flash of light appeared in the middle of the room, and when it cleared, they all gaped at the man standing there.

**TBC **

**Reviews wanted.**

**Thanx to all those that have reviewed.******


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